An Australian citizen has been sentenced to death after drugs were found in his checked luggage at a Chinese airport.
Karm Gilespie was detained at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport on New Year’s Eve back in 2013 following the 7.5-kilo methamphetamine find in his luggage which, according to Chinese state media, he was trying to leave the country with.
ABC News reported that Gilespie, who believed to be in his 50s, and is a former actor now working as a wealth adviser, was sentenced to death last Wednesday. However, a Chinese waited three days to announce the verdict.
Gilespie has been reportedly been locked up in a Chinese prison for the past six-and-a-half years, with some of his friends and even his lawyer claiming they had no idea about his arrest.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told ABC News it was providing consular assistance “to an Australian man detained in China”, but wouldn’t disclose any further details.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, for all people,” the spokesperson said.
“We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us. Owing to our privacy obligations, we will not provide further comment.”
Featured image source: Facebook/Karm Gilespie
